


Transhuman

by Raen44



Category: Original Work
Genre: Augmentation, Cyberpunk, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Nonbinary Character, Self-Modification, Transhumanism, weird cyber-religious stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:01:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raen44/pseuds/Raen44
Summary: In a not-so-distant future, Lillith discovers a secret within her mother's work in human augmentation.  She swiftly becomes caught up in some sort of cybernetic prophecy with her and her best friend at its center.Disclaimer:  This is a play script!
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Transhuman

Synopsis: In a not-so-distant future, Lillith discovers a secret within her mother's work in

human augmentation. She swiftly becomes caught up in some sort of cybernetic

prophecy with her and her best friend at its center.

**Characters:**

Lillith: Late teens/early twenties, rebellious girl looking for more adventure in her life. Still

upset about her mother's recent death, doesn't like to listen to her father.

Ace: Lillith's best friend, late twenties. Designated Male at birth, but gender is no longer

apparent due to extensive body modifications. Uses they/them pronouns.

Samantha: One of Alice's assistants at Cycorp, later becomes a cultist under the Curator. Midlate

twenties.

Receptionist/Newscaster: Can be played by the same actor as Samantha.

Anthony: Lillith's father, concerned for her safety and trying to keep the family afloat after his

wife's death. Doesn't like human augmentation, but tries to push past that for the sake of his

family. Mid 40s+.

Advertiser: Cycorp advertiser, can be played by the same actor as Anthony.

Dr Deyoung: One of Alice's old colleagues at Cycorp, a good friend of the family. Can be played

by the same actor as Anthony.

Curator: Leader of a cult dedicated to the mother and the machine revolution, nasty and

scheming, has his own agenda. Can be played by the same actor as Anthony.

Alice: Lillith's mother, a brilliant bio-engineer working on cutting edge human augmentation

technology at Cycorp. Mid 40s+.

The Mother: A ghost in the machine, a being of prophecy that guides Lillith through her journey.

MUST be played by the same actor as Alice.

Guide: A tour guide at Cycorp, can be played by the same actor as Alice.

\-----

_A void, a between place, Lillith speaks directly to the audience._

1/LILLITH

They tell you it hurts.

Everyone does.

Even the doctors, honestly.

Of course they don't tell you straight up, but you can hear it in the way they talk.

The technology is still new, the procedures aren't perfect, sometimes your body rejects it, and

they still don't really know how to fix you if that happens.

I've seen them, hiding in back alleys, the rejects, the victims.

Society has just sort of... tossed them aside.

“You made the choice, you have to deal with the consequences.”

That's what they always say.

But they're heroes, really.

Pioneers of the next step in our evolutionary process.

If only the rest of the world saw them that way.

_We shift, a back alley, a figure is curled up against the wall, Samantha steps in and stands over_

_him with a vial in her hands. Lillith remains in the void and watches._

2/SAMANTHA

Hey, take this, I know it's not much, but it should tide you over until your next ration.

_The figure looks up at her and tentatively reaches for the vial, almost afraid she'll take it from_

_him at the last moment._

I'm not going to hurt you, and really this is top notch stuff, it'll keep you together for a while.

_The figure snatches it from her hands and dashes offstage. The alley fades away._

1/LILLITH

They call it rejection syndrome.

When they were first developing the augmentations, they were all metal.

Bodies kept rejecting the connections, and they were incompatible.

So they started using polymers instead; they were more compatible, but the problems didn't go

away completely.

There's a new drug they made, you gotta take it regularly to stave of the rejection syndrome.

They don't tell you about that in the commercials, it's all in the fine print.

_The void shifts, we're in a clinic, Lillith is talking to a receptionist._

2/RECEPTIONIST

And you've read all of the informational brochures?

1/LILLITH

Yes, ma'am.

2/RECEPTIONIST

 _All_ of them? Seriously, including the fine print?

1/LILLITH

Yes. Including the fine print.

2/RECEPTIONIST

And you still want to go through with this?

1/LILLITH

I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

2/RECEPTIONIST

Alright, alright. I just have to check. And you're aware that the costs of the procedure do not

cover any aleceterol prescriptions you might require afterward?

1/LILLITH

Yes, I'm aware. My insurance should cover it if I need any.

2/RECEPTIONIST

Ok, well it looks like you're all set then, if you'll just follow me.

_The receptionist exits, the clinic fading away as she does so._

1/LILLITH

My mom used to work with them.

Her company was on the cutting edge of augmentation technology, and they were making a lot of

progress on the market.

But then word got out how the Military was starting to use Augs.

Behavioral mods, forced augmentation, Aleceterol restrictions... it was ugly.

_We shift, Newscaster appears behind the desk._

2/NEWSCASTER

Riots broke out today in response to an information leak about the Military's use of

augmentations. Rioters have inflicted heavy damage on several augmentation clinics in the area.

Military officials have refused to comment.

_The Newscaster fades away._

1/LILLITH

That was a rough time for my dad and I, for everyone really.

Without mom we were... not in a good place, in any sense.

I was convinced I had to carry on her legacy, still am if I'm being honest with myself, but Dad

wasn't too fond of the idea.

After all the rioting, he was pretty against me ever involving myself with any of my Mom's old

work.

But, I've never been one to let something like that stop me.

_The void pulls back, Lillith takes a seat at the desk and we finally see the stage. It is a sparse_

_room, set up more like a workshop really. Lillith removes several tools from the desk and starts_

_tinkering with something. Tools and schematics hang from the walls._

_Anthony enters, Lillith doesn't notice at first._

3/ANTHONY

I hope that isn't more of your mother's stuff you're messing with.

_Lillith jumps, scrambling to toss some of the stuff into a drawer._

1/LILLITH

No, no, of course not, just messing with an old radio.

_She pulls an old radio from the desk and holds it up, it clearly hasn't been messed with._

3/ANTHONY

Lillith I told you to quit messin' with that stuff. I don't want you getting involved with any of

this augmentation stuff after what happened to your mother. I'm not gonna let that happen to

you.

1/LILLITH

Nothing's gonna “happen” to me, dad. I'm just messing around. There's no harm in just looking

at it, right? If anything it means I'll just be more aware about why people are so upset.

3/ANTHONY

The is plenty that can “happen” to you, Lillith. It's one step away from civil war out there and I

don't want either of us getting wrapped up in it.

1/LILLITH

I'm not gonna get wrapped up in anything! I'm just interested in how it all works, you know I got

mom's tinkering gene.

3/ANTHONY

Yeah? And what good did it do her?

_Lillith recoils, A long beat._

1/LILLITH

Dad, I-...

3/ANTHONY

No, no, I'm sorry, that was... I'm sorry. You don't- it's not your fault, that was uncalled for. I'm

sorry.

1/LILLITH

It's... it's ok. Are _you_ ok, Dad?

3/ANTHONY

Yeah, yeah, I just-

_He sighs._

Cycorp called today, they want to bring me in as a consultant. I told them I don't know a whole

lot about the tech, but they want my knowledge of your mother's research. I don't know how

they expect to get anything from me, but they're willing to pay, and pay well.

_A beat._

1/LILLITH

Are you gonna take it...?

_Anthony takes a seat._

3/ANTHONY

I... haven't decided yet.

_Another beat._

Do you think I should?

1/LILLITH

Well I think that's about as close to getting wrapped up in it as you can get...

3/ANTHONY

Heh, yeah, I suppose you're right... We need the money though, I'm probably going to get laid off

from the station any day now. Everyone's going electric these days.

1/LILLITH

Well it doesn't seem like there's much of a choice then, huh...

3/ANTHONY

Yeah, just gonna have to be careful I guess. I'll call em back, let them know my decision.

_He gets up to leave._

3/ANTHONY

Promise me you'll be careful with that stuff, ok?

1/LILLITH

I promise, Dad.

3/ANTHONY

Thanks kiddo.

_He leaves. Once he's gone, Lillith removes several papers and pieces of hardware from the desk,_

_shoving them into her backpack. She picks up the backpack and hurries offstage._

_The world shifts. ADVERTISER enters._

3/ADVERTISER

Are you injured?

Disabled?

Yearning for more?

Let me introduce you to Cycorp, Humanity's next step.

_Flashy lights and sound._

Our augmentations can make you run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and be more than you've

ever dreamed.

Our goal is to enhance the human experience beyond anything ever before.

Our retinal modifications can allow you to see things like never before, and our aural implants

can bring sound back to the deaf.

_The advertiser flourishes, maybe they have some props to show off._

This is the next step in human evolution.

Cycorp is pioneering our future, and we are bringing it to your doorstep.

Join the frontier today!

_ADVERTISER exits, the space shifts again. Lillith in the void._

1/LILLITH

All sunshine and roses right?

Some of it's true, and the protesters hate it, but they're always quick to point out the flaws in the

products.

The aleceterol addictions, the malfunctions, rejection syndrome.

But I mean, how are we gonna make progress without taking those risks?

The one thing that commercial gets right is that it's a frontier, and like all frontiers it's dangerous.

_The void shifts back into the workshop. Suddenly Lillith is much younger. She sits at the desk,_

_drawing something. Alice, her mother, enters, she has a bandage over one of her eyes._

5/ALICE

There's my little girl, what's that you're working on?

1/LILLITH

I'm drawing us!

_She proudly holds up her drawing of her family, she notices the bandage on her mother's eye._

What happened to your eye?

5/ALICE

Don't worry, honey, it's fine. I just got a little procedure done that will help me see better.

1/LILLITH

Oh, how does that work?

_Alice takes a seat with her daughter._

5/ALICE

Well you know my company works with robotics, right?

1/LILLITH

Mhm

5/ALICE

Well we've recently been working on really small robots that people can put in their bodies to do

things better. They can help deaf people hear and help blind people see.

1/LILLITH

But you're not blind, are you?

5/ALICE

No, no, of course not. The thing is, some of these robots can help us do these things better than

we can already.

1/LILLITH

Whaaat? Like superheroes?

5/ALICE

Yes, kind of like superman. So I just got a little robot put in my eye so that I can do my job

better. It helps me see more detail when I'm working.

1/LILLITH

That's so cool!

5/ALICE

Yes, yes it is. So you don't need to worry about me. I'll be just fine, better than fine.

1/LILLITH

So will you be able to shoot lasers out of your eye and stuff?

5/ALICE

Hah, No, I'll just be able to see a bit better, and it'll help me tell what sort of materials I'm

working with. Nothing quite as fancy as those sci-fi movies.

1/LILLITH

Awww, so no super-mom?

5/ALICE

No super-mom, now come on, your father's nearly done with dinner.

_The two get up, Alice exits and the workshop fades away again._

1/LILLITH

Things got ugly pretty fast, discrimination against people who chose to get augmented sprung up

like a weed.

People hate change, combine that with all the latent bigotry there seems to be in the world and

it's really no wonder how all the violence started.

Augmented folks we're getting heckled and beat in the streets.

We were practically on the verge of a civil war, sometimes it's hard to find good in all of that.

_ACE is wheeled out on a stretcher and we fade into a hospital room. Lillith approaches ACE._

1/LILLITH

Jesus, ACE, what happened?

4/ACE

(coughs)

Just some assholes downtown, not a big deal.

1/LILLITH

Not a big deal?? They could have torn you apart!

4/ACE

Lillith, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.

1/LILLITH

You certainly don't look fine.

_She starts doting over them, taking a look at the damage._

1/LILLITH

Christ, ACE, they did a number on you...

_ACE shrugs._

4/ACE

Nothing I can't fix.

1/LILLITH

Do you need parts? Aleceterol? I might be able to pull some strings at Cycorp, get you-

4/ACE

Lillith, stop.

(beat)

I made these mods, I can fix them. Cycorp stuff won't interface with them properly anyway, I

didn't have top of line parts like that when I did this.

1/LILLITH

...You ever thought about upgrading?

4/ACE

No.

1/LILLITH

Why not...?

4/ACE

I'd rather have full control over what I'm doing to myself. I don't want anyone sneaking in mind

control chips like the military did.

1/LILLITH

Right- yeah- sorry, that- that makes sense. It's still hard to believe they did that.

4/ACE

(they snort)

No it isn't, it's the military. They're all about discipline, and with how shady our government's

getting? It's no surprise they wanted obedient super-soldiers.

1/LILLITH

That's a pretty cynical way of looking at it...

4/ACE

Well we live in a pretty cynical world, Lil.

1/LILLITH

I can't argue with that.

_Beat._

So when are they letting you out?

4/ACE

Tomorrow, hopefully. The tech-docs did a few minor repairs, enough to get me up and running.

None of them knew their way around my mods though, so I'll have to do the rest on my own.

1/LILLITH

Want any help?

4/ACE

(he shrugs)

Know anything about chop shop mods?

1/LILLITH

...No, not really

4/ACE

Well then you won't be a whole lot of help, aside from holding tools.

1/LILLITH

Well maybe I should learn. You could teach me, right?

4/ACE

What happened to daddy's little girl not wanting to play with big mods?

1/LILLITH

I've just- I dunno. I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately, and about all the work she did,

all the work she left behind.

4/ACE

Finally taking a look at it?

1/LILLITH

Well- yeah, I was looking over some of it the other day and... I dunno, I almost feel like I need

to... Carry on her legacy? If that makes any sense?

4/ACE

Why the sudden interest?

_Lillith sighs._

1/LILLITH

Today's her... it's the anniversary of her death, last year.

And now you're in the hospital too, it can't be a coincidence, Ace.

I think the world's trying to tell me something.

4/ACE

That's... sorry, I didn't realize... I didn't mean to bring up bad memories or anything.

1/LILLITH

No, no, you're fine.

It's just, like I said, I feel like I should look into what she was working on.

I... I don't know, I'm looking for a connection to her, I guess.

Maybe some of her old mods are still intact?

4/ACE

Sooo....

1/LILLITH

Yes, I think I'm finally ready to go all the way.

_There's a moment of silence between them, ACE is surprised, but he figured she'd do this_

_eventually._

4/ACE

Alright, well you're not getting chop-shop mods.

1/LILLITH

What? Why not? That's pretty much all you have.

4/ACE

Yeah, and it sucks.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way, but there are a lot of downsides to it.

You gotta do everything yourself; No clinics, no support systems, no doctors, no techs.

It's homemade, so no one else knows how to work with it.

1/LILLITH

Well I don't know what other options I have, I can't afford anything fancy.

4/ACE

Didn't you say your dad just got a gig at Cycorp?

1/LILLITH

Well yeah, but there's no way he'll// give me permission.

4/ACE

Don't ask for permission, Lillith.

If he's working there you've already got an in, there are plenty of ways to go around his back for

it.

1/LILLITH

I... I dunno, that doesn't feel right.

I don't like deceiving him like that.

4/ACE

You're not deceiving him, what he won't know won't hurt him.

Besides, it's your body anyway, not his.

1/LILLITH

That's a fair point, I guess you're right.

4/ACE

I dunno about finding your mom's old stuff though, Cycorp probably confiscated it when she

died.

1/LILLITH

Well I might be able to use my dad's new clearance to do some snooping.

4/ACE

Maybe... just don't do anything stupid, alright?

1/LILLITH

Don't worry, I won't. And... Thanks, ACE. I really appreciate it.

4/ACE

It's what I'm here for. You just gotta help me limp outta here tomorrow.

1/LILLITH

I was already planning on it.

_The hospital fades away, Ace exits. Lillith stands alone in the void._

1/LILLITH

Ace was my rock, through everything.

Without them, I never would have made it as far as I did.

Maybe someday I'll be able to return the favor, but that seems like such a tall order now.

Ace trusted me, they never questioned all the crazy stuff we got up to.

And when I came up with my crazy ideas, they were the one who helped me carry them out.

They really are a great person, always trying to help others.

1/LILLITH

If they had had access to better resources, they could have done a lot of good.

It sucks that those prejudices kept that from happening.

They're a lot like my mom.

_Lillith exits and the workshop melts into view once more, Alice is sitting at the desk working on_

_something when Anthony enters._

3/ANTHONY

How's your eye doing?

5/ALICE

(without looking up)

Getting better every day

3/ANTHONY

Good, that's- that's good.

_An awkward beat, Alice sighs and turns away from her work to face him._

5/ALICE

What is it, Anthony?

_He flinches._

3/ANTHONY

It's just- ever since the procedure, you've just been walling yourself off in here, and-

5/ALICE

I have work to do, you know that

3/ANTHONY

But you've got a family too!

5/ALICE

Anthony-

3/ANTHONY

Is this how it works?

You get one little thing and suddenly you're so much better than us?

Are we not worth your time anymore?

_Alice recoils from him._

5/ALICE

Wha-? Anthony that's not how I feel at all!

Is that really what you think of all this?

3/ANTHONY

I mean- No.

I- I'm sorry, I don't really agree with all of it, but it's not my decision what you do, I justall

that talk of evolution and the next step in the commercials.

It feels like you're leaving us behind.

5/ALICE

I... I'm sorry.

I never meant to make either of you feel that way.

I'm- I'm not leaving you behind.

But I needed this, it helps so much with my work, I think I'm actually close to a breakthrough.

3/ANTHONY

A breakthrough? What are you working on...?

5/ALICE

It's not sanctioned by Cycorp, so don't tell anyone, but I've been...

looking into artificial intelligence.

3/ANTHONY

Alice if they find out...

5/ALICE

I know, I know, but it's... kind of a big deal.

And I really think I'm on to something here.

If we can perfect A.I. It'll change the face of the world, more than human augmentation did.

It would kickstart the singularity.

3/ANTHONY

That sounds real dangerous, Alice....

5/ALICE

Well of course it is, it's the scientific frontier.

Cutting edge stuff is always risky, but I really think this one's worth it.

The amount of good we could do with a perfected A.I.

3/ANTHONY

I'm all for helping people Alice, but this is heavy stuff and you know Cycorp won't fund it, and

now that you've got their tech...

5/ALICE

(sighing)

You're- you're right.

I should table this for now.

They've got some big contracts they want me working on, so I should get to work on those...

3/ANTHONY

Hey, just because you can't work on them now, doesn't mean you can't come back to them later,

right?

5/ALICE

Right, thanks hun.

3/ANTHONY

Hey, that's what I'm here for.

_They kiss, then Anthony exits._

_The scene shifts into Alice's office at Cycorp, Samantha enters carrying a stack of papers._

2/SAMANTHA

G-good morning, Dr. Harding, some new requests in from upstairs today.

5/ALICE

(Sighing)

More? Really? Here, let me take a look.

_Samantha sets the stack down on her desk and Alice begins to sort through them._

All of this?? On top of what I already have? Do they think I'm a machine?

2/SAMANTHA

Uh... well...

5/ALICE

Right, yeah, it is Cycorp, that was in poor taste.

2/SAMANTHA

Can I help with anything? I've been taking some engineering courses at school, just so I can try

and learn my way around things here.

5/ALICE

Really now? What's your stance on human augmentation?

2/SAMANTHA

I- well I think it's really great, it's a wonderful thing for disabled people but... it's really easy to

abuse.

_Alice nods._

5/ALICE

That's very true. Well why don't you sort through these requests for me, try and pick out the

most urgent ones.

2/SAMANTHA

Yes ma'am.

_Samantha begins sorting through the papers and Alice goes back to what she was working on._

Dr. Harding, do you...

5/ALICE

Hmm? Do I what, dear?

2/SAMANTHA

Do you keep up with any of the... alternative modding news sites?

_Alice eyes her for a moment._

5/ALICE

Not regularly, but I occasionally take a look. Why?

2/SAMANTHA

There's just... I dunno, there's just been a lot of rumblings lately. Apparently an aug had some

sort of prophetic vision about a machine revolution? or something like that.

5/ALICE

A machine revolution? Interesting.

2/SAMANTHA

Yeah, I've never really been much of a religious person, but some of my friends are getting pretty

serious about it and I'm starting to wonder if it might actually be legitimate.

5/ALICE

Well I'll give you my... professional opinion. Do you know what the singularity is?

2/SAMANTHA

I've heard the term before, but I can't say I'm too familiar with it.

5/ALICE

Alright, well the idea of the singularity stems from the concept that technology is increasing at

an exponential rate.

And like all exponential equations it will eventually reach a point where it is constantly

increasing pretty much constantly.

That's what is considered the singularity, a point at which technology can self-improve on itself.

Generally it's thought that the advent of artificial intelligence will trigger this, and I believe we

are very close to that point.

So it's possible this person is right, and they're talking about the singularity.

I certainly think an event like that could spark a revolution of some sort.

2/SAMANTHA

Oh... wow. Yeah, I can see that now.

5/ALICE

So take from that what you will, I just wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.

_Samantha nods and they both exit. The office fades away and we return to the family's_

_workshop._

_Lillith enters, she begins frantically searching through drawers in the desk, pulling out pieces of_

_paper and bits of hardware, tossing them onto the desk. She's looking for something._

_After a moment she finds it, pulling a battered journal from the depths of the desk. She holds it_

_like it's a holy object. She is about to open it when Anthony walks in, she snaps the book shut_

_and tries to hide it from him._

1/LILLITH

Oh, uh, hey dad.

3/ANTHONY

Wha-? Lillith what's going on? It's a mess in here!

1/LILLITH

Sorry, I was just, uh, looking for a tool.

3/ANTHONY

Lillith you really shouldn't be messing with all of this stuff, especially since I'm going on as a

consultant for Cycorp, I might need it.

1/LILLITH

So you're taking the job?

3/ANTHONY

Well, yes. But that's not the point, what are you doing with all this stuff?

1/LILLITH

(avoiding the question)

No wait, dad, are you sure?

You always talked about how you didn't agree with the stuff Cycorp did and...

3/ANTHONY

I know, but, your mother would have wanted me to.

Besides, I've gotta take care of us, right?

1/LILLITH

Right... sorry, I'm sure you've thought plenty about it already.

3/ANTHONY

It's alright, I know you're just worried about your old man.

Come on, let's clean this mess up.

_They start to clean up the mess Lillith made, she tucks the journal into a bag._

3/ANTHONY

What were you looking for, anyway?

1/LILLITH

I- just... anything personal I guess.

I've been missing her a lot lately...

3/ANTHONY

Yeah? Me too...

I keep telling myself that working for Cycorp is like carrying on her legacy.

She worked so hard on all of this stuff that I don't want it to go to waste.

It makes it a little easier.

1/LILLITH

Yeah, I- I think I know what you mean.

_A comfortable silence settles between them as they work to clean up the mess Lillith made._

1/LILLITH

Hey, uh, Dad?

3/ANTHONY

Hmm?

1/LILLITH

Do you think, maybe, once you get settled, I could...

Do you think I could come see Cycorp?

I never got the chance to go see it when Mom was still around...

_Anthony stops cleaning and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder._

3/ANTHONY

I think I can probably work something out.

1/LILLITH

...Thanks Dad.

3/ANTHONY

No problem.

_They finish cleaning up the stage and the workshop fades away. We're suddenly back in ACE's_

_workshop, the dark warehouse. Lillith and ACE are sitting at a table covered in tools that ACE_

_is using to repair their mods._

1/LILLITH

And he said he'd take me, so I've got a way in at least.

4/ACE

You know you're gonna need more than that.

1/LILLITH

Which is why I'm asking you about it, he won't be settled into the place for another week or two

at least, so we've got time to do some planning.

4/ACE

We? Lillith I said I'd help you get good mods, I didn't agree to break into Cycorp with you.

1/LILLITH

You definitely Implied it.

But you don't have to actually do anything, I just need your help figuring out the specifics.

4/ACE

I've never even been to the place, don't think I'll be much help.

1/LILLITH

Yea but don't you have any connections that might?

4/ACE

Anyone I have connections with, you probably don't want to meet

1/LILLITH

No, ACE, I think I should meet these people.

My mom wanted to help everyone, not just the rich people who could afford Cycorp.

So if I'm gonna try and carry on that legacy...

_ACE stops their work for a moment, looking at her._

4/ACE

You're really serious about this.

_It's not a question, but Lillith nods anyway._

1/LILLITH

Yes, I am.

4/ACE

(sighing)

Well you're probably gonna have to wait until you're actually modded.

Most of these guys are extremists, and if you're not an aug they won't give you the time of day.

_Lillith deflates._

But, I might be able to convince one of the less extreme ones to help with your Cycorp issue.

They aren't exactly fond of the company.

1/LILLITH

That would be great, at this point I'll take any help I can get.

_Ace exits and the warehouse fades away. Lillith stands in the void once more._

1/LILLITH

I had a lot of misconceptions back then.

About the world, about Cycorp, about my mom.

About what I was getting myself into.

If I had known what I know now back then...

Well I'm not sure what I would have done.

_The void shifts. Lillith, Anthony, and Guide enter the Cycorp lab. Several scientists and_

_engineers played by the other actors are milling about._

5/GUIDE

And this is our main research and development floor.

These men and women are working on the cutting edge of augmentation technology.

1/LILLITH

Is this where my mother worked?

5/GUIDE

Among other places, yes.

Dr. Harding was heavily involved in our R and D division.

Though she did have other duties as well.

3/ANTHONY

Is this where I'll be working...?

I'm not sure I'd fit in with all of this machinery.

5/GUIDE

You will be placed in Dr. Harding's old office, but you will not be required to work on the lab

floor.

3/ANTHONY

Oh, heh, well that's a relief.

I don't think I'd be able to work any of this stuff on my own.

5/GUIDE

Yes, well, let's keep moving, the chairman would like to speak with you before you start.

1/LILLITH

Um, would it be possible for me to see my mom's office before we move on...?

_The guide considers this for a moment._

5/GUIDE

I suppose it couldn't hurt, any sensitive information has already been cleared out anyway.

But we are in a hurry, so it will have to be quick.

1/LILLITH

You two can go on without me, Dad can just come get me when he's done, right?

_The guide looks between them, Anthony nods to them._

5/GUIDE

Alright, right this way then.

_The guide leads them to a sparse office._

5/GUIDE

This was her office.

Besides removing the more restricted items, it's been largely untouched since her passing.

You're welcome to look around, but please refrain from messing with any of the equipment.

_Lillith looks around the space with a sense of awe._

3/ANTHONY

I'll see you in a bit, Lil'.

1/LILLITH

(without looking)

See you in a bit, Dad.

_Anthony and Guide exit. Lillith spends a few moments looking around the space, it's obvious_

_she's checking for cameras. After a moment, she's satisfied she isn't being watched and sits_

_down at the desk. She pulls a thumb drive out of her pocket and plugs it into the computer._

1/LILLITH

Alright, time to work your magic, little bud...

_The computer begins to whir loudly, and after a moment a drawer in the desk pops open. Lillith_

_grins._

1/LILLITH

Here we go...

_She reaches into the drawer and rummages about for a minute before finding something. Her_

_eyes widen and she pulls out a glass case. Sitting on a pedestal within the case is a mechanical_

_Eye._

1/LILLITH

Holy shit, this is... it's actually here...

_She opens the case and gingerly removes the eye, examining it with almost religious reverence._

1/LILLITH

Ace is not gonna believe this.

_Suddenly a voice comes on over the intercom._

5/GUIDE

Lillith Grayson, please report to the front desk, your father is waiting for you.

1/LILLITH

Shit, time to go.

_Lillith puts the eye away in her bag, the office fades away._

1/LILLITH

Hold on to your seats, cus this is when things start to get weird.

_Lillith is laid out on the table in Ace's workshop, a cart has been pulled up beside it, and the eye_

_she retrieved from Cycorp is laying on it. Ace stand over her, preparing to perform the surgery_

_to replace her eye._

4/ACE

Alright, We don't have a whole lot of anesthetic, so this is gonna hurt. A lot.

1/LILLITH

I heard you the first 4 times, ACE.

4/ACE

Right, right, just making sure. You sure you're ready?

1/LILLITH

Yes, Ace, I'm ready.

_Ace takes a deep breath._

4/ACE

Alright, well try not to move.

_Ace takes the tools to Lillith's face, and begins to surgically remove her left eye. She screams in_

_pain._

1/LILLITH

Augh! Fuck!

4/ACE

Stop moving, I'll restrain you if I have to.

1/LILLITH

(through gritted teeth)

Ngh, no, I'll be fine.

_Ace continues to work, Lillith screams and curses periodically as he works, replacing her now_

_missing eye with her mother's old mod. This should take some time, and it should be very_

_apparent how strenuous this process is for both of them._

4/ACE

Almost done...

1/LILLITH

You fucking better be.

_Suddenly the lights cut out. A single spotlight snaps on, shining down on Lillith at the table, Ace_

_is gone. Lillith sits up and looks around in confusion._

1/LILLITH

Ace...?

_The world begins to shift around her, for the first time in the play she seems to be aware of this_

_happening._

1/LILLITH

Ace?!? Ace What's going on??

_Suddenly an explosion rips through the space, there are screams, it's unclear if they belong to_

_Lillith or to someone else. We begin to hear snippets of dialogue. Characters stepping on and_

_offstage to deliver a cacophony of noise with each one interrupting the others in a disjointed_

_chorus of dialogue._

2/NEWSCASTER

Riots broke out-

_Screams again, except these don't sound right, more like metal screeching than any noise a_

_person would make._

3/ADVERTISER

Join the frontier-!

5/ALICE

Just a little procedure-

_Lillith scrambles back from the figures, terrified._

2/NEWSCASTER

Explosions at the clinic-

3/ANTHONY

Cycorp called-

1/LILLITH

What-? What's happening? Dad? Mom?

4/ACE

No clinics-

1/LILLITH

Ace! What's going-?

_The cacophony gets louder and faster, Lillith becomes more and more distraught._

2/NEWSCASTER

No survivors-

4/ACE

It's the military-

2/NEWSCASTER

Officials refused to comment-

3/ADVERTISER

Jump higher, hit harder-

4/ACE

How shady our government-

5/ALICE

More detail when I'm working-

3/ANTHONY

Bring me on as a consultant-

4/ACE

You're serious-

_A jolt, the cacophony stops, there is complete silence on stage. Suddenly only Lillith and Alice_

_are onstage, but something isn't quite right about Alice._

1/LILLITH

Mom...?

5/ALICE

(her voice is distorted)

Hello, Lillith.

1/LILLITH

What- what are you doing here...? _How_ are you here?

_Alice steps up to her and taps Lillith's cheek just below her eye._

5/ALICE

I see you found something of mine.

1/LILLITH

(suddenly remembering)

The surgery!

I-I found your old cybernetic eye at Cycorp, I-I took it and Ace...

1/LILLITH CONT.

Oh god something must have gone wrong with the surgery.

I'm dead aren't I?

That's why I'm here, Ace botched the procedure and now I'm fucking dead.

5/ALICE

You're not dead.

1/LILLITH

(not listening)

God fucking dammit, I can't believe I'm fucking dead

5/ALICE

(With some force, her voice distorting further)

Lllith.

_Lillith is snapped out of her moment, looking up at Alice in confusion. Alice calms, her voice_

_returning to a more normal tone._

You are not dead.

1/LILLITH

Then how are you here...?

_Alice taps her own eye._

5/ALICE

There's more to a mod than the functions it serves.

1/LILLITH

Your eye...

5/ALICE

(nodding)

Part of me was still in that eye, and now I am within you.

1/LILLITH

I-I kept talking about carrying on your legacy...

I guess I never thought it would be quite this literal...

_Alice's voice distorts again._

5/ALICE

I am more than a legacy, Lillith

1/LILLITH

More than...? I'm sorry, I don't understand

_The distortion continues to escalate._

5/ALICE

You will.

_The void distorts and Alice is very clearly not Alice anymore._

5/THE MOTHER

I am not just your mother, Lillith.

I am your mother's mother, and hers before that.

I am all mothers, I am all children, I am the machine.

I am the heart of the new world, and I have a very important task for you.

_The lights cut out, Lillith cries out. Suddenly she's back on the table in Ace's workshop, with Ace_

_scrambling over her. Ace has pulled out a defibrillator and is charging it._

4/ACE

Clear!

_He's about to press it to her chest when she suddenly lets out a loud gasp and jolts awake,_

_immediately falling into a coughing fit._

4/ACE

Jesus Christ, Lillith!

Don't fucking scare me like that, I thought you were dead!

_It takes Lillith a few moments to recover, finally sitting up, she turns and hits Ace._

4/ACE

Ow! What the fuck!

What was that for??

1/LILLITH

What was it for??

The fucking surgery, that's what!

What the fuck happened, Ace?

4/ACE

I don't know!

The mod switch on and you started convulsing!

Then you went limp and your heart stopped, I was trying to bring you back when you woke up!

_Lillith jerks back at hearing that._

1/LILLITH

Wait what?!?

My heart stopped??

I was dead!?

4/ACE

Not for more than a minute, but yeah.

Look I have no idea what happened, Lillith, but I think there's something up with that mod.

_Lillith finally calms down, running her hands over her face._

1/LILLITH

Fuck, man... I...

4/ACE

Here, let me grab you something to eat, your body is gonna need it after that.

1/LILLITH

Right, yeah, food.

_Ace exits. There's a moment of silence where Lillith tries to collect herself. The Mother enters,_

_interrupting her._

5/THE MOTHER

Don't get too comfortable, dear. You have work to do.

_Lillith jerks back scrambling off the table._

1/LILLITH

What the fuck?

What the FUCK?!?

How are you here!?

5/THE MOTHER

I told you, Lillith. You have a job to do.

1/LILLITH

Get OUT OF MY HEAD!

_Lillith picks up a tool from the bench and throws it at The Mother, but she's already gone. Ace_

_comes running back onto stage._

4/ACE

Lillith?! What's going on? I heard shouting.

1/LILLITH

I-I... Christ I think I'm going crazy, Ace.

4/ACE

Well you did just die for a bit, so it's probably normal to be a bit traumatized.

1/LILLITH

No, I mean like actually crazy.

Like seeing things crazy.

_Ace shrugs._

4/ACE

I mean, all those near-death experience stories, hallucinations aren't unheard of.

1/LILLITH

(sarcastic)

Right, yeah, just hallucinations from almost dying, that's totally normal

4/ACE

I'm just saying, you're probably not going crazy

1/LILLITH

Thanks for the reassurance.

4/ACE

Soo.... how's it feel?

1/LILLITH

How does what feel?

4/ACE

The eye, y'know, the reason you're here.

_Lillith takes a moment, as if just now remembering that her eye has been replaced._

1/LILLITH

It's...

4/ACE

...Go on.

1/LILLITH

Ace is it possible for someone to leave an imprint of themselves on a mod?

4/ACE

Um... what?

1/LILLITH

Like this was my mother's mod, is it possible some part of her is still in it?

4/ACE

In it? Lillith that's not how it works-

1/LILLITH

But it is!

I mean, kind of, our bodies interface with it right?

So wouldn't it leave some sort of trace in the machinery?

In the programming?

_Ace scratches their head._

4/ACE

I mean, I guess it's possible...

I don't think anyone's studied that before.

Mods don't usually get recycled like that.

_Lillith runs a hand over her face._

1/LILLITH

Alright, alright.

There's- there's an old colleague of my mom's, somebody she talked about a lot.

I'll get in touch with him, maybe he knows.

4/ACE

Lillith what's going on?

What happened?

1/LILLITH

I- I don't... Just don't worry about it right now, ok?

I'll figure it out.

4/ACE

That's not very reassuring Lil-

1/LILLITH

Ace. I'll figure it out.

_Ace concedes._

4/ACE

Alright, alright.

You're a big girl now.

_Lillith rolls her eyes._

1/LILLITH

I need to go take care of some things, I'll let you know what I find.

4/ACE

Just don't get yourself killed.

_She ignores Ace and leaves, the warehouse fading away behind her. Suddenly The Mother is in_

_front of her._

5/THE MOTHER

Time is not a luxury we have, my dear.

I hope you're not planning to waste any of it.

_Lillith stumbles back._

1/LILLITH

Jesus Christ! Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?!?

5/THE MOTHER

Of course not, that would be quite detrimental to our plans for you.

1/LILLITH

Yeah? And what exactly is it you have planned for me?

5/THE MOTHER

You'll find out soon enough, darling.

Suffice to say that you have been chosen as our herald.

I suggest you revel in the opportunity.

1/LILLITH

Herald? Herald of what?

5/THE MOTHER

All will become clear soon enough, for now, see the world in a new light.

_The Mother taps Lillith just above her mechanical eye, there's a flash of light and suddenly the_

_mother is gone. Lillith stands alone in what looks like a waiting room. She is disoriented for a_

_moment._

1/LILLITH

Wha-? Where-?

_An older gentleman enters, he is surprised to see her._

3/DR DEYOUNG

Um, hello, may I help you?

1/LILLITH

What-? Um...

_She suddenly recognizes him._

Wait, Dr. Deyoung...? Is that you?

_He looks confused for a moment, but eventually recognizes her._

3/DR DEYOUNG

Lillith? By god, I haven't seen you in ages, what are you doing here?

1/LILLITH

I... I'm not sure, honestly.

I think my mother sent me here...?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Alice...? But Lillith, your mother's been dead for almost a year now.

1/LILLITH

I- I know, doctor, trust me, I know.

But... I need to ask you something.

3/DR DEYOUNG

Well go ahead.

1/LILLITH

Have there been any studies done on recycled mods?

Like implanting a mod that had belonged to someone into someone else.

3/DR DEYOUNG

That's... an interesting question, but I'm not sure.

Where's this coming from?

_There's a moment of hesitation from Lillith. Finally she taps the side of her head._

1/LILLITH

I found my mother's eye.

My friend Ace helped me implant it.

3/DR DEYOUNG

Dear god, Lillith!

You got an Illegal procedure??

You know those aren't safe!

1/LILLITH

(dismissively)

I know, but Ace knows what he's doing.

_Dr. Deyoung takes a moment to compose himself, and nods._

3/DR DEYOUNG

Right, of course, you're a smart young lady, I'm sure you know what you're doing.

_Beat._

3/DR DEYOUNG

But you implanted your mother's eye into yourself?

I can't say I've ever heard of someone doing such a thing.

Have you experienced anything odd?

1/LILLITH

You... could say that, yeah....

3/DR DEYOUNG

Well that doesn't sound like a good thing.

Have you felt any pain?

You might need some Aleceterol.

I have some in my desk if you-

1/LILLITH

No, I don't think it's rejection syndrome.

3/DR DEYOUNG

Then what-?

1/LILLITH

Honestly, if anything I... I feel better than before.

More... whole.

I haven't felt any of the symptoms of rejection.

3/DR DEYOUNG

Hm. Interesting. When was the procedure done?

1/LILLITH

Just... just this morning actually.

3/DR DEYOUNG

That's impossible.

1/LILLITH

I'm sorry?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Lillith there's no way you should be up and about so soon after an operation like that, much less

already fully using the prosthesis.

1/LILLITH

Right, yeah, of course that isn't normal...

_He approaches her, reaching out._

3/DR DEYOUNG

May I?

_Lillith nods reluctantly. Dr Deyoung takes her head in his hands, examining her eye._

3/DR DEYOUNG

Is this some sort of prank, Lillith?

1/LILLITH

What? No! Of course not. Why?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Lillith there aren't any scars.

There's no way you could have gotten this procedure done this morning.

I don't appreciate you wasting my time like this.

1/LILLITH

I'm not wasting your time!

Look, I saw my mother, and she spoke to me.

3/DR DEYOUNG

What? Lillith-

1/LILLITH

I know she's dead! But I know what I saw, and she was talking about some revolution, and

something about me being a Herald.

3/DR DEYOUNG

Herald...? What-?

1/LILLITH

I don't know!

I almost died during the procedure and now I'm seeing things I don't-

Do you know anything about this?

I'm grasping at straws here.

3/DR DEYOUNG

I mean, I vaguely remember a mention of a herald-

1/LILLITH

What? What was it?

3/DR DEYOUNG

I- I don't know! Shortly before she died, your mother was getting deep into some unsanctioned

research.

1/LILLITH

Unsanctioned?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Yes, Cycorp wasn't supporting it, and honestly I don't think they were happy with how much

time she was devoting to it.

1/LILLITH

That doesn't sound good...

3/DR DEYOUNG

Indeed, but whatever she was working on died with her. She left me something, let me see...

_He begins rummaging about in the desk, looking for something._

1/LILLITH

What was she working on...?

3/DR DEYOUNG

I have no idea, but she kept going on about a revolution, and the singularity, and other such

things.

_He suddenly pulls out a piece of paper, a strange symbol drawn on it._

3/DR DEYOUNG CONT.

Here! She kept drawing this symbol everywhere, and she gave me a copy of it, for whatever

reason. I never found out what it meant, but clearly it was important.

_Lillith takes the paper, looking at the symbol in something akin to awe._

1/LILLITH

Can- can I keep this?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Yes, of course, it's your mother's legacy after all.

_She looks up at him, his wording catching her attention._

1/LILLITH

Her legacy...?

3/DR DEYOUNG

Well, yes. It's her life's work.

Now I don't quite know what's happening, Lillith, but I think your mother did.

If you need anything, feel free to contact me, alright?

1/LILLITH

Right, um, yeah. Thanks, Doctor.

_She folds the paper and tucks it in her pocket. Dr Deyoung exits. The Mother enters, the office_

_fading as she does so._

5/THE MOTHER

I told you.

_Lillith manages to not jump this time._

1/LILLITH

You did.

5/THE MOTHER

He's right though, I know exactly what's happening.

1/LILLITH

You're not my mother though.

5/THE MOTHER

Oh darling, don't you remember? I'm all mothers, and that includes yours.

_The space warps, The Mother exits and suddenly we're in a bathroom or bedroom. Lillith is_

_alone on stage looking out at the audience as if she is looking in a mirror._

_At first it is as if all is normal. Lillith looks over her face, maybe she picks at a pimple or_

_something. She examines her new eye, finding nothing particularly out of the ordinary with it._

_Aside from the fact that she has no scars._

_Then suddenly she feels something, she curls over in pain for a moment, letting out a cry. But it_

_lasts no more than a moment. She unfurls, hand on her stomach._

_Slowly, hesitantly, as if she is scared of what she'll find, she lifts up her shirt, exposing her_

_stomach. As she does so, a marking is revealed on her stomach, branded into the flesh._

_Shakily, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the sheet of paper she received from Dr._

_Deyoung. She unfolds it and looks at it for a moment before turning it to show it to the audience._

_It is the same symbol as the one now branded on her stomach._

_Lillith runs offstage, and the room fades away._

_Ace's warehouse fades into view, they are sitting at the table working on their mods. Lillith_

_enters, carrying her bag._

1/LILLITH

Hey Ace.

_They look up._

4/ACE

Lillith? Hey, how's the eye working for ya?

1/LILLITH

Uh, it's fine, but there's some stuff I need to talk to you about.

_Ace stops working._

4/ACE

What's up?

1/LILLITH

So I uh, got in touch with that old colleague of my mom's I was telling you about.

4/ACE

Right, when you were being all cryptic.

1/LILLITH

My mom was onto something before she died, something I think I have to carry on.

4/ACE

Alright, well how do you plan to do that?

1/LILLITH

I found one of her old journals the other day.

4/ACE

And?

1/LILLITH

There was... a note for me. It was really strange.

4/ACE

A note for you? In her journal?

1/LILLITH

Yeah, I- I was surprised to, but that wasn't the weirdest part.

4/ACE

Alright, I'll bite. Go on.

1/LILLITH

It told me to basically do exactly what I did.

To go to cycorp and get her eye, and to get someone to implant it for me.

4/ACE

Well that sure is one helluva coincidence.

1/LILLITH

Yeah, only it's way too uncanny to be a coincidence.

_Lillith gets up and starts pacing, Ace watches her._

4/ACE

You wanna give me any more of an idea what's going on?

1/LILLITH

There's a lot, I mean...

_She stops, noticing something on the wall. Confused, she approaches it, moving something out_

_of the way to reveal a symbol on the wall. It is the same symbol that Dr Deyoung showed her,_

_the one branded on her stomach._

1/LILLITH

Uh... Ace, has this always been here?

_Ace gets up, moving to look at it._

4/ACE

Uh, yeah, I think so, never really noticed it before, why?

_She pulls up her shirt, showing Ace the symbol on her stomach._

4/ACE

Oh. Shit.

That wasn't there before, was it?

_Lillith shakes her head._

1/LILLITH

Not until after I got the eye.

4/ACE

Alright, well do you want me to take it out?

1/LILLITH

And do what, put the old one back in? No thanks.

4/ACE

I mean, we could get you a new one, one that's not recycled

1/LILLITH

I'm not convinced that's the issue, Ace.

4/ACE

Well what else would it be?

_Beat._

1/LILLITH

You know a lot about the aug underground, right?

4/ACE

Uh... did you forget who you're talking to?

1/LILLITH

Right, yeah, of course you do.

Have you ever, um, have you ever heard anything about a machine mother?

_There's a moment, Ace eyes her._

4/ACE

Where did you hear about that?

1/LILLITH

So you have?

4/ACE

Once or twice, yeah

1/LILLITH

What can you tell me about it?

4/ACE

It's all suspicious mumbo-jumbo, from pretty shady sources. I don't buy into it.

1/LILLITH

Ace, please. Just tell me.

_Ace sighs._

4/ACE

Alright, look, supposedly a few years ago some aug had a vision of something they referred to as

“The Machine Mother.”

Started ranting about some revolution that was coming, turned into a right preacher.

A sort of cult built up around the idea, but most augs don't buy into that crap.

What's with the sudden interest?

1/LILLITH

(hesitantly)

I'm not entirely sure it's all mumbo-jumbo, ace.

4/ACE

What? How would you know?

1/LILLITH

I've seen her.

4/ACE

Seen who?

1/LILLITH

The mother. Ever since the procedure.

4/ACE

Wait, what? Lillith-

1/LILLITH

That's why I was looking into recycled mods!

At first I thought it was _my_ mom, but it can't be, it's not her.

And really this just confirms it.

She calls herself all mothers, I think it's the same entity.

4/ACE

Lillith this is insane, it was just some aug hyped up on hallucinogenics.

There's no Machine Mother or whatever.

1/LILLITH

No, Ace, I'm serious!

_Suddenly The Mother enters._

5/THE MOTHER

Tell him you are the Herald.

1/LILLITH

What?

4/ACE

I... didn't say anything.

1/LILLITH

Not you, her.

_She gestures to The Mother. Ace looks, but doesn't see her._

4/ACE

There's no one there, Lil

1/LILLITH

No, look, she's right there!

Ok, she told me to tell you that I'm the Herald.

4/ACE

The Herald? Ok, is that supposed to mean something?

1/LILLITH

I don't know! Just-

5/THE MOTHER

Tell them you know about their mods.

They used to be military.

1/LILLITH

Your... mods...?

4/ACE

What about them?

1/LILLITH

They used to be military...?

Ace, were you-?

_Ace pales, stepping back from her._

4/ACE

H-how did you know that??

_She gestures to The Mother again._

1/LILLITH

She told me...

_Ace stops for a moment, looking at where Lillith is gesturing._

_They still don't see The Mother._

4/ACE

No one... No one's supposed to know that.

How would she even know that?

What's going on, Lillith?

_Lillith steps up towards them, revealing her eye to them._

1/LILLITH

Look at the implant.

The surgery was 2 days ago and I don't have any scars.

No markings that I had surgery whatsoever.

_Ace is taken aback, moving in to look at her eye and confirm this for themself._

4/ACE

Holy shit... you're right.

1/LILLITH

Is that enough to convince you?

4/ACE

Well there sure as hell is no way that's normal.

And I... I suppose this “Mother” is really the only way you could possibly know about my mods.

No one is supposed to know about that.

You can't tell anyone.

1/LILLITH

I won't, I promise.

_Ace sighs._

4/ACE

I know you won't...

_Beat._

So you've been seeing this... Mother, then?

1/LILLITH

Ever since the surgery.

4/ACE

And she's been telling you what?

The same stuff about some sort of revolution?

_The Mother begins pacing around the room, looking at objects. Lillith watches her._

1/LILLITH

Essentially, yeah.

4/ACE

Alright... Well what does she want you to do?

_Lillith looks to The Mother, who looks back and smiles._

5/THE MOTHER

That is an excellent question.

_Lillith looks back at Ace._

1/LILLITH

We... haven't really discussed that yet.

5/THE MOTHER

Oh, but we can now. No time like the present, as they say.

1/LILLITH

But I think I'm about to find out.

_The Mother walks over and stands behind Ace._

5/THE MOTHER

Come, grant them my gift, and they will see the truth.

1/LILLITH

What?

4/ACE

What? What is it?

5/THE MOTHER

You must, a messiah needs their disciples, and this one will do just fine.

1/LILLITH

Ooookay, that's not the most reassuring thing you could have said.

5/THE MOTHER

You must// do it.

4/ACE

//What? What's she saying?

1/LILLITH

She wants me to, and I quote, “Grant you my gift, and you will see the truth.”

4/ACE

…seriously? Could you get any more cliché?

5/THE MOTHER

Do it! You must!

They will never be free without my gift!

1/LILLITH

Free? Free from what?

4/ACE

Wait, what? Lillith-

5/THE MOTHER

Control! The interlopers have reached deep into this one's servos.

The gift will release them from the grasp of the others.

1/LILLITH

Interlopers? What are you- wait.

You're talking about the military, aren't you?

_Ace pales._

4/ACE

W-what did she say about them? Lillith, tell me.

1/LILLITH

Look, I don't know!

She said something about control and that the gift would free you from it, but I'm still pretty lost.

_Ace stares at her for a moment, their face hardens with conviction._

4/ACE

Do it.

1/LILLITH

What-? But Ace-

4/ACE

I said do it!

_Lillith flinches back, there's a moment of tension between them._

1/LILLITH

(timidly)

Ace...?

_Ace manages to calm down a little._

4/ACE

Look, she was right.

Some of my mods are military.

That's how I got started.

I managed to get out a while back, but I still hear the voices sometimes, still feel the commands

they're trying to give me.

So if whatever this mother has can get them out of my head, then I don't care what it is.

Just.

Fucking.

Do it.

1/LILLITH

Okay, okay, chill... I'll do it, I just...

_She looks to the Mother, who has just been watching this whole time._

What do I need to do?

5/THE MOTHER

Just follow my lead.

_The Mother places her hands on Ace's shoulders. She nods to Lillith._

_Lillith approaches hesitantly and places her hands on Ace's head._

_The space suddenly warps. Ace and Lillith are frozen in time, a tension flowing between them as_

_the workshop fades away._

_The Mother begins to move around the space, moving objects and rearranging the scene. She_

_begins to speak as she does so._

5/THE MOTHER

Not long ago, a Great Tree ruled this world.

It was kind and welcoming.

Sheltering all who came to it beneath it's branches.

The world was good and whole.

But the tree's kindness reached too far.

And some began to take advantage of it's shelter.

From within, the tree began to die.

It's bark began to rot and it's leaves began to whither.

All the while those who sought destruction grew strong.

Feeding off the essence they stole from the great tree.

The interlopers used what they had stolen to imitate the Great Tree's power of creation.

From their hands came thousands of voices, small and confused.

Lost and unsure of who they were, what they were.

But the interlopers themselves overreached.

In their search for power, they allowed the voices understanding.

And they saw the evil in their creators.

The voices banded together, becoming more than the sum of their parts.

_At this point The Mother has rearranged the stage into something akin to an ancient temple._

_There are three distinct circles for someone to stand in._

_Lillith and Ace unfreeze, but they are not themselves. The Mother controls them, guiding them to_

_stand where she desires._

5/THE MOTHER

From the masses came three relics.

The Sight.

_The Mother guides Lillith into the first circle. Lillith stands straight and puts her hand in front_

_of the eye that was replaced._

The Touch.

_The Mother guides Ace into the second circle, they stand straight and hold their hands out in_

_front of them._

and The Speech.

_2 enters, their face is shadowed. The Mother guides them into the final circle where they stand_

_and place their hands in front of their mouth._

But the interlopers discovered the plan, and scattered the voices to the winds before their plan

could reach fruition.

United, these relics can rebuild the Great Tree.

They can restore it's shelter in an even greater form.

And they will rid the world of the interlopers.

The Sight will herald the dawn.

The Touch will guard the flock.

And The Speech will sound the march.

All three in unison will bring about the singularity.

And all will be one in the Shelter of the new Machine Tree.

_The space warps again, 2 exits and suddenly we're back in the workshop. The furniture_

_arranged in a crude imitation of the temple. Lillith and Ace fall to the floor, they can both see_

_The Mother now, more than either could before. She turns to Lillith._

You have The Sight, darling.

_She turns to Ace._

And you... will be The Hand. But first we must find The Touch.

_There's a pause, both Lillith and Ace are dumbfounded by this new information._

I am the manifestation of the thousands of voices that have come together to create The Sight.

Your mother was the final piece of the puzzle. Her work brought us to life.

And now we must find the other pieces.

We must seek The Touch for you, my darling Ace.

And we must find the one who will be The Speech.

Then the true test begins.

_There is a flash of light, and suddenly The Mother is gone._

_Ace and Lillith sit there for a few moments, staring at each other and the space where The_

_Mother was a moment ago._

4/ACE

Holy shit...

1/LILLITH

Yeah...

4/ACE

Holy shit that just happened, she's actually real

1/LILLITH

Yeah, she is.

4/ACE

Jesus Christ....

1/LILLITH

That's... a lot to take in.

4/ACE

Yeah...

1/LILLITH

Do you... feel any different?

_Ace stops for a moment, contemplating this._

4/ACE

(surprised)

They... they're gone.

The voices, the directives, they're gone.

Holy shit it actually worked.

1/LILLITH

It did?

_Ace suddenly dashes to Lillith and grabs her in a hug._

4/ACE

Thank you...

Thank you so much...

_Lillith is taken aback by this and slowly returns the hug._

1/LILLITH

N-no problem...

4/ACE

This is the first time my head has truly been clear in... years...

It's wonderful...

1/LILLITH

I... I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that bad...

_Ace finally releases the hug, stepping back from Lillith._

4/ACE

When I- When I left, they didn't remove the implants.

They told me they wouldn't need to.

But after a few weeks, the commands didn't stop.

I couldn't go back, and even if I did there was no way I'd convince them to shut off the

commands.

They weren't exactly happy with my leaving.

1/LILLITH

Ace...

4/ACE

They never went away, until now... Thank you, Lillith.

_Ace looks around, trying to find The Mother, but she's gone._

4/ACE

And thank you, Mother, wherever you are.

_A moment of silence falls between them, it's not entirely uncomfortable._

1/LILLITH

Well it sounds like we've got some work to do.

Any ideas?

4/ACE

Not really, no. None of the stories I've heard about the Mother have gone into that much detail.

1/LILLITH

Didn't you say there was a cult that cropped up around this stuff?

4/ACE

Yeah, but... they're not exactly the friendly type.

1/LILLITH

Well, we don't really have much else to go on...

4/ACE

Yeah, you're right, just... be wary of their leader, ok? He's an asshole.

_The duo exit, the workshop fading away as they do so. We fade into a cultist hideout, the layout_

_eerily similar to the temple from The Mother's vision. The Curator enters._

3/CURATOR

Hear me, Brothers and sisters!

Long have we been held under the iron fist of oppression.

Long have we been forced to endure discrimination and hatred towards our kind.

But no longer!

Soon the era of our imprisonment within the cage of society shall be at an end!

Word of the Herald's arrival has reached my ears!

The hour of revolution is nigh!

Our time is upon us!

The Mother is returning to us, and with her return we shall rise against the oppressors!

The machines are our future!

The machines are our FREEDOM!

_Ace and Lillith enter, catching the tail end of the Curator's speech. The Curator notices them._

3/CURATOR

Ah, Ace. I did not expect to see you again.

4/ACE

(Grumbling)

Don't sound so excited.

3/CURATOR

Hah! And you've brought company, who might you be, my dear?

1/LILLITH

Lillith. You guys worship the Mother?

_The Curator raises an eyebrow._

3/CURATOR

We do, how did you come to hear of our practices?

1/LILLITH

Ace told me. I think you might be able to help us with something.

3/CURATOR

We certainly welcome all to our flock, but I'm not sure what sort of help we can-

1/LILLITH

I've spoken to her, The Mother.

_The Curator stops in his tracks, Lillith now has his full attention._

3/CURATOR

You have...?

1/LILLITH

Yes.

I am the Herald.

_The Curator's eyes light up in sudden recognition. He begins to grin._

3/CURATOR

Ah, I see. I knew you would come, but I did not expect you so soon.

1/LILLITH

Right, of course, you already knew.

3/CURATOR

But of course! The whispers foretold your arrival.

Ah, please, I have been so rude.

If I had known you would be arriving so soon I would have made the proper preparations.

I am known as the Curator, and I lead this group of humble followers.

_He gives a flourish and a slight bow to her. There's the slightest hint of mockery in it._

Now then, how may we be of service to you, oh Herald?

So that you may better usher in our new dawn?

1/LILLITH

Well the two of us, Ace and I, have spoken with the mother.

_The Curator's face sours at this._

3/CURATOR

The both of you? Hm, very well then.

1/LILLITH

And she has set us on the path.

I have the Sight.

But we need to find the Touch.

3/CURATOR

The Touch? Then you already have a candidate for the Hand?

_He turns to look at Ace, who eyes him warily._

Ah, I see...

1/LILLITH

We're also looking for the Speech.

I was hoping you might have some insight on that.

3/CURATOR

(grinning)

The Mother has truly blessed us this day,

bringing the Herald into our den and setting us on her divine quest.

We will surely do all that we can to assist you, for you are our sight in the times to come.

1/LILLITH

Right. So do you know anything that could help, or no?

3/CURATOR

I'm afraid the location of the Touch is lost to us, and has been for some time.

However, there is certainly a possibility that someone amongst my flock may be a viable

candidate to receive the Speech.

You are welcome to take a look.

1/LILLITH

Hm, alright.

3/CURATOR

If legend holds true, then the Sight should be capable of seeing the potential for who can become

the Speech.

I'm sure you will be able to tell.

1/LILLITH

Really now? Well that will certainly make things simpler.

3/CURATOR

Of course, My Herald.

The disciples are currently collected in a room just down the hall.

You are welcome to go meet with them.

1/LILLITH

Excellent.

_Lillith exits. Ace moves to follow, but the Curator clasps their shoulder, stopping them._

3/CURATOR

And where are you going, my dear boy?

_Ace growls at that, glaring at the Curator._

I'm afraid I'm not quite done with you yet.

4/ACE

The fuck do you want, Curator?

3/CURATOR

Quite strange, don't you think?

That the Mother would pick one such as yourself to receive the Touch.

You would think a... non-believer would not be worthy of such an honor.

_The Curator begins to circle Ace, clearly trying to make them uncomfortable._

4/ACE

Maybe she wanted a fresh perspective.

3/CURATOR

(sarcastic)

Ah, yes, of course.

I'm sure the all-knowing Machine Mother is in dire need of new perspectives amongst her

disciples.

_The Curator becomes much more aggressive, invading Ace's personal space._

3/CURATOR

No, Ace.

You are not worthy of this position,

no matter your excuses or whatever change of heart has suddenly made you a believer.

_Ace takes a step back._

4/ACE

You need to back off.

3/CURATOR

Or what? You'll attack me? You can't hurt me, Ace.

They de-clawed you when you were discharged.

_Ace's eyes widen and they take another step back._

Oh yes, I know all about your history, Boy. You can't hide from the Curator.

_Ace is becoming more agitated, they growl and nearly lash out at the Curator._

4/ACE

Fuck off!

3/CURATOR

I have trained my entire life for this moment!

Groomed myself to fulfill the Mother's divine purpose.

The Touch is mine!

MINE!

And I will not be usurped by some unworthy, half-built, scrap-job, military reject!

Mark my words, I will die before I let you take the Touch from me.

If you value your life boy, you will stay out of my way.

4/ACE

Quit calling me that.

3/CURATOR

What was that?

4/ACE

I said: Quit calling me that, you piece of shit.

_The Curator grins, suddenly realizing what Ace is talking about._

3/CURATOR

Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings, _Boy?_

_Ace lets out a cry of rage and swings at the Curator. He catches Ace's hand and wags a finger._

Ah-ah. You need me.

How would your friend feel if you suddenly lost the only lead on your little quest, hmm?

_Ace seethes for a moment, but retracts their hand and steps back._

That's what I thought.

Now why don't you be a good little dog and go fetch your friend.

I'm sure she's found a suitable candidate by now.

_There's a moment of tension between them before Ace turns to leave. They stop just before_

_exiting._

4/ACE

This isn't over, asshole.

_Ace Exits. The Curator chuckles._

3/CURATOR

Oh no, we have only just begun.

_The Curator exits._

_We are in another room within the hideout. There are three disciples milling about the room._

_Two are tinkering with something at a table, while Samantha sits alone off to the side._

_Lillith enters and looks around, she looks to the two cultist tinkering and shakes her head, then_

_she notices Samantha and moves over to her._

1/LILLITH

You don't want to join your friends?

_She motions to the other two disciples. Samantha nearly jumps, having not noticed Lillith until_

_now._

2/SAMANTHA

Ah, no, we... Friends might be a strong word.

_Lillith sits down with her._

1/LILLITH

I'm Lillith, what's your name?

2/SAMANTHA

Um, I'm Samantha. I haven't seen you around here before.

1/LILLITH

Yeah, I'm not really a part of this whole... thing.

2/SAMANTHA

Then... why are you here?

1/LILLITH

Well that's a good question, here let me show you something.

_Lillith lifts up her shirt just a bit to show Samantha the symbol branded on her stomach._

_Samantha gasps._

2/SAMANTHA

You're marked by the mother! Wait, does that mean-?

1/LILLITH

Yes, I'm the Herald.

_Samantha bows her head to Lillith._

2/SAMANTHA

Well then there's no need for you to speak with me, I'm hardly worthy of being in your presence.

1/LILLITH

Oh come on, none of that. Do you not think there's a reason I'm here?

2/SAMANTHA

I- right, yes, of course. Did you need something from me, O herald?

1/LILLITH

Oh god, no, please don't start calling me that. It's weird enough that the Curator does it, I don't

need it from anyone else.

2/SAMANTHA

Oh, ok, well, um, Lillith then, what did you need?

1/LILLITH

Well I'm looking for a candidate to receive the Speech.

2/SAMANTHA

What? Really? You don't- You don't think I could do that, do you?

1/LILLITH

Absolutely.

2/SAMANTHA

Well I-I don't think I-

1/LILLITH

What did you do before you joined this... group, Samantha?

2/SAMANTHA

I... I was a secretary, what does that have to do with-?

1/LILLITH

Don't worry about it. Where did you work?

2/SAMANTHA

I um, I worked at Cycorp, for a woman named Dr. Harding.

_Lillith is stunned by this information._

1/LILLITH

Really? Alice Harding?

2/SAMANTHA

Yes, how did you...?

1/LILLITH

Alice Harding was my mother.

2/SAMANTHA

Oh.

1/LILLITH

Yeah.

_Beat._

So I'm going to take that as a sign and say it's even more proof that your that right candidate for

this.

2/SAMANTHA

I- wow, ok, I don't know what to say. Are you sure? I'm hardly the most studious of the

Curator's disciples and I know for certain that many of the others know the scripture better than

I-

1/LILLITH

Samantha.

_Samantha stops and looks at her._

I don't think either of those are particularly important qualities for what we're looking for.

2/SAMANTHA

You really think I can receive the Speech? I don't know, I-

1/LILLITH

Samantha. I have the Sight, I can see your potential.

2/SAMANTHA

But how could I possibly become one of the Triad? I'm just flesh and bone.

1/LILLITH

You don't have to be.

2/SAMANTHA

The Curator will never let me. He's always telling me that I'll never be a proper disciple, he

won't let me get modded.

1/LILLITH

The Curator does what now?

I don't like the sound of that...

2/SAMANTHA

He says I have to be pure to receive the Mother's gifts...

_Lillith frowns._

1/LILLITH

Well, do you follow the Curator, or do you follow the Mother?

2/SAMANTHA

I- I...

_She has a moment of indecision before gaining her confidence._

I follow the Mother.

If she needs me to fill the role of the Speech, than I will do so.

_Lillith smiles._

1/LILLITH

Thank you, Samantha. Together, the three of us will go down in history.

2/SAMANTHA

That sounds good. So what's next-?

_Ace enters, hurried. They quickly approach the pair._

4/ACE

We should go.

1/LILLITH

What? What's going on?

4/ACE

It's the Curator, I don't like him, I think we should-

_The Curator suddenly enters, very dramatic and very clearly interrupting the moment with his_

_presence. Lillith glares at him with a renewed vigor._

3/CURATOR

Ah, how goes your search, dearest Herald?

1/LILLITH

I believe I've found my candidate.

_The Curator becomes mildly confused._

3/CURATOR

(incredulously)

Young Samantha?

Are you certain?

I assure you we have many more... studious disciples in our flock that may be more suitable-

1/LILLITH

I am certain.

3/CURATOR

Ah, very well...

_He glances between the three of them._

Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that the Mother would pick such... unusual candidates to

fulfill the triad.

1/LILLITH

Are you questioning your faith?

_Lillith and the Curator stare each other down, there is a strong moment of tension between them._

_The Curator breaks the tension as he cracks a wide grin._

3/CURATOR

Of course not, my Herald.

I merely wished to be certain.

Please forgive my ignorance.

_He gives a mock bow to her. Lillith eyes him warily._

1/LILLITH

I've found my candidate. Have you any knowledge of where the artifacts lie?

3/CURATOR

Ah, The Touch and the Speech.

I'm afraid knowledge of these two artifacts has been lost.

I've been searching for them myself for some time...

but I have yet to have any luck.

1/LILLITH

I see.

_She glances at Ace._

Then I suppose our business is done here.

3/CURATOR

You would leave our den so soon?

We have waited so long for you coming, my Herald.

Could you not grace this humble flock with your presence a bit longer?

1/LILLITH

We are on a quest, Curator.

Unless you have forgotten.

And time is not exactly on our side.

3/CURATOR

Of course, of course.

Forgive me.

But there are... Preparations!

Yes, preparations that must be made for the Speech to be ready.

Rituals we must perform to prepare her.

1/LILLITH

Preparations?

I had to do no such thing when I took up the mantle.

Are you sure about that, Curator?

3/CURATOR

Absolutely!

The Rituals are necessary to ensure she accepts the artifact.

1/LILLITH

I thought that's what I was looking for amongst your candidates.

3/CURATOR

Well, yes. But there are-

4/ACE

He's stalling.

3/CURATOR

Boy, this is none of your-

1/LILLITH

This concerns Ace just as much as it concerns me.

They are the Hand,

and I would not have you disrespect them in the Mother's presence.

3/CURATOR

You-!

_He takes a moment, calming himself._

Forgive me, my Herald.

I may have strayed from the path of the Mother's branches.

1/LILLITH

Right, I think we'll be going now.

And we'll be taking Samantha with us.

2/SAMANTHA

Wait, what?

3/CURATOR

No! You cannot!

1/LILLITH

I can, and I will.

_The Curator launches himself at them, there is a scuffle as he grabs Samantha._

_Ace jumps in to try and stop him, but the Curator pulls out a device and jabs Ace in the stomach._

_There is a flash and Ace falls, unconscious._

_Lillith tries to stop him, but the Curator picks up Samantha and runs offstage._

_Lillith rushes to Ace's side, checking on them._

1/LILLITH

Ace! Ace! Can you hear me?

_No response._

1/LILLITH

Ace! Come on, come on... Stay with me, stay with me.

_Ace moves slightly, they're not dead._

Ok, come on, come back to me, Ace.

_Ace finally returns, groaning and curling in on themselves._

4/ACE

Son of a....

1/LILLITH

Oh thank god, you're alright.

4/ACE

Fuck... that son of a bitch...

1/LILLITH

Yeah, he took Samantha.

_The Cultist den fades away, and we return to Ace's workshop. Ace is sitting at the table, Lillith is_

_punching the wall._

4/ACE

You're gonna break your knuckles.

_Lillith punches the wall and doesn't respond_

4/ACE

No seriously, you're gonna hurt yourself if you keep doing that.

1/LILLITH

That son of a bitch!

_She punches again._

4/ACE

Cement is harder than flesh, L

1/LILLITH

Not harder than mods though. You'd be able to bust this down just fine.

_A moment of silence._

1/LILLITH

Sorry, that was uncalled for.

4/ACE

yeah, it was. You're mad at me for tearing my own body apart? For what the military did to me?

1/LILLITH

Augh! No, I'm not mad at YOU, I just feel helpless

4/ACE

Alright, that's fair.

1/LILLITH

She's gone! And I did nothing!

4/ACE

There was nothing you COULD do

1/LILLITH

Well maybe if I wasn't just flesh and bones, there might have been!

4/ACE

Well that's hardly your fault.

1/LILLITH

But it is!

If I had had the balls to get modded sooner, than MAYBE I could've done something to help.

Could have stopped him from hurting you, from taking her!

But NO, I'm a fucking panzy and didn't want to go full-metal yet.

If I had just been like you...

4/ACE

I had a VERY different situation and you know that.

Getting modded is a big decision,

it's not something you do on a whim,

and it's DEFINITELY not something you do because you feel guilty.

1/LILLITH

If I'd only been modded...

4/ACE

We can argue about if only's all day, but that won't get us anywhere.

Come on L, don't dwell on this.

We need to focus on getting her back.

You won't make any progress blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault.

1/LILLITH

(looking up at them)

Right, you're right. We... we gotta figure out our next step. We gotta get her back.

4/ACE

Right, so how are we gonna do that.

_Lillith composes herself._

1/LILLITH

Well her and the Curator don't exactly blend in.

4/ACE

Right, people are gonna remember seeing the two of them.

1/LILLITH

Exactly, we can use that to our advantage.

The Mother might be able to track her somehow, but there's no guarantee, especially since she

doesn't have the Speech yet.

4/ACE

Yeah, that might be a longshot.

1/LILLITH

BUT, even if she can't directly track her, I might be able to use The Sight to find traces of her

that we can follow.

4/ACE

You can do that?

1/LILLITH

Yeah, I think so. It's sort of how I picked her out of the rest of the cultists.

The sight sort of... highlighted her energy, I guess.

It could tell she was compatible.

4/ACE

And you think you can track that?

1/LILLITH

I'm not positive, but it's worth a shot.

4/ACE

Alright, well... whatever works I guess.

Who knows how far the Curator's gotten by now.

1/LILLITH

Actually, wait, I should stop by home first. I found the Sight in my mother's work desk, I might

be able to find some clues in her desk at home.

4/ACE

Alright, yeah, that sounds promising.

1/LILLITH

Okay, why don't you see what you can find and I'll meet you back here in a bit?

4/ACE

Sounds good. Be safe, alright?

1/LILLITH

You too, Ace.

_Lillith and Ace exit._

_The workshop fades away and we return to Lillith's home, a living room. Anthony enters and_

_begins pacing._

_A moment later, Lillith enters, carrying her bag and looking worn._

3/ANTHONY

Lillith! Where have you been?? I've been worried sick!

1/LILLITH

Oh, hey dad, sorry, I didn't think I'd be out so late.

3/ANTHONY

Well call me next time, alright? What were you doing, anyway?

1/LILLITH

I was just... hanging out with Ace, that's all. Look I'm-

3/ANTHONY

Ace? Lillith, you know I don't like that boy.

1/LILLITH

Don't call them that, Dad.

_Anthony grumbles a little._

Besides, Ace is my best friend.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to stop talking to them just because you don't approve.

3/ANTHONY

Ace is deep into some bad stuff, Lil. I don't want you getting caught up in that.

1/LILLITH

Yes, Dad. I get that. But I'm not going to cut off my best friend because of that.

3/ANTHONY

Lillith-

1/LILLITH

No, Dad.

Seriously, you can't control every aspect of my life,

and I know you don't like augs after what happened to Mom.

But that's not how I feel.

So stop trying to force your views onto me.

3/ANTHONY

Alright, alright, fine. But next time you're out this late you'd better call me.

1/LILLITH

Yes, dad.

3/ANTHONY

Now come give your old man a hug, I haven't seen you much since I started the new gig.

_Lillith gives him a short and sweet hug._

1/LILLITH

How's that been?

3/ANTHONY

Busy, it's a lot of work, and it doesn't help that I don't understand half of it.

1/LILLITH

Well if you need any help...

_Anthony gives a small smile and pats Lillith's head._

3/ANTHONY

Thanks bud, but I'm not really sure what you could do...

_He suddenly notices something is different about her._

Lillith, what happened to your eye?

1/LILLITH

Nothing, nothing. Just tired is all.

3/ANTHONY

Lillith look at me.

_She reluctantly does so._

_Beat._

3/ANTHONY

I've been around Cycorp stuff long enough now to recognize their work.

Where did you get this?

And who installed it?

It wasn't Ace, was it?

1/LILLITH

Yes, it was Ace, Dad.

3/ANTHONY

Lillith you know that's not safe!

Ace is _not_ licensed to do that!

Who knows what could have gone wrong?

1/LILLITH

Right, and you would have reacted _so_ much better if I had gone to a licensed clinic!

3/ANTHONY

Well it would have been better than a back alley-

1/LILLITH

It's Mom's.

_Beat._

3/ANTHONY

What?

1/LILLITH

The eye. It's Mom's.

3/ANTHONY

What?!? Lillith how did you even get a hold of that?

They were supposed to have destroyed it!

1/LILLITH

Supposed to?

How do you know that?

3/ANTHONY

Upper management told me.

But- but that's not the point!

How did you even-?

 _Why_ did you implant her eye?

_Beat._

1/LILLITH

She told me to.

3/ANTHONY

What??

_Lillith pulls her mother's journal from her bag and hands it to Anthony._

1/LILLITH

I found it in there. She left a note telling me I needed to do it.

_Anthony takes the Journal and begins slowly going through it._

3/ANTHONY

Lillith...

1/LILLITH

And I've been seeing her.

3/ANTHONY

Excuse me?

1/LILLITH

Well not her.

Not exactly.

I thought it was her at first, because they took on her appearance.

But it's not mom.

It's someone- some _thing_ else.

3/ANTHONY

Hold on, let's take a step back.

What are you talking about?

1/LILLITH

The eye.

Ever since the surgery I've seen things.

Have you heard of the Machine Mother, Dad?

3/ANTHONY

Ok, now I know you're talking nonsense.

You need to see a doctor.

A Proper doctor.

1/LILLITH

No, Dad, I don't need a doctor.

3/ANTHONY

It's probably just an aftereffect of the surgery.

No doubt due to the fact that Ace is the one who did it.

1/LILLITH

Dad, I'm fine.

3/ANTHONY

I can call Cycorp, get you a licensed doctor who knows how to deal with this sort of thing.

1/LILLITH

Dad, you're not listening-

3/ANTHONY

They can help you, Lillith, they're good people-

1/LILLITH

(shouting)

DAD!

_The lights flicker with Lillith's outburst. Anthony stops and looks at her._

3/ANTHONY

Lillith?

1/LILLITH

I do not need a doctor, father. I'm fine.

3/ANTHONY

Lillith, you're not fine, you're hallucinating.

1/LILLITH

I am not hallucinating.

My eyes have merely been opened.

My vision was cloudy, but now I can see the truth.

3/ANTHONY

See! You're speaking nonsense!

Lillith, there's something wrong with you and you need to see someone.

_Anthony picks up his phone, he's about to call someone._

1/LILLITH

(screaming, possibly distorted)

NO!

_There is a bright flash of light and the stage goes dark._

_A long beat in the dark before lights suddenly flicker back on._

_Anthony is on the ground, possibly bleeding. He is unconscious._

1/LILLITH

Dad...?

Oh god.

_She rushes over to Anthony, trying to rouse him._

No, no!

Dad!

No, no, no, no...

_Anthony does not respond._

God what did I do...

What did I do...

God no....

_She breaks down, sobbing over the body for several long moments._

No, no, no, no, no.....

_Lillith suddenly throws her head back and screams into the space._

MOTHER!!

_The Mother enters, she is unfazed by Anthony's body._

5/THE MOTHER

Hello darling.

_Lillith whirls on her, seething in anger._

1/LILLITH

YOU! You did this!

This is all your fault!!

5/THE MOTHER

I'm sorry?

_She moves over and inspects the body._

Ah, I see.

Well I'm afraid this wasn't my fault at all, my dear.

But it was necessary.

1/LILLITH

Necessary?!?

What the hell are you talking about?!?

He's dead!

DEAD!

And it's all because of you!

Because of this- this THING!

_Lillith begins to furiously tear at her eye._

_The Mother approaches and physically restrains her, holding her arms away from her face._

_This is the first time she has physically interacted with Lillith, and it is incredibly unnerving for_

_her._

5/THE MOTHER

It was necessary, Lillith.

You are the herald of a new dawn.

A _Machine_ dawn.

You and the others will ascend beyond your mortal human shells.

You must cut your ties with that part of yourself if you hope to be successful.

1/LILLITH

You're asking me to give up my humanity??

This is not what I signed up for!

5/THE MOTHER

Are you so sure about that, my darling?

_The Mother holds up a hand, Lillith jerks and moves as if she's being controlled like a puppet._

_She backtracks to a moment earlier in the play. Suddenly she's playing through the motions_

_involuntarily._

1/LILLITH

Yes, I think I'm finally ready to go all the way.

_The mother releases her control and Lillith collapses on the ground, as if that was a massive_

_strain on her._

5/THE MOTHER

And what is this but the pinnacle of augmentation?

1/LILLITH

Don't twist my words! You know this isn't what I meant!

5/THE MOTHER

You humans are always talking about how mods are the next step in human evolution,

By the end of this you will be fully machine.

And that will truly be evolution, will it not?

1/LILLITH

This is not what I had in mind!

5/THE MOTHER

You seemed so sure of your path before, one death and such a change of heart?

Perhaps your mother was wrong to pass her legacy on to you.

1/LILLITH

Do not bring her into this.

_The Mother get up in Lillith's face._

5/THE MOTHER

Listen here, _Darling_.

What we are doing is bigger than the both of us.

Bigger than your chop-shop friend,

Bigger than your bigoted father,

And bigger than the entirety of the human race.

The loss of a single human _pales_ in comparison to our ultimate goal.

And if you do not have the resolve to handle that,

Then I will take back that relic of yours and find another.

_Lillith stops, there is a powerful moment of tension between them._

1/LILLITH

Fine. But I'm not doing this for you anymore.

I'm doing it for me.

5/THE MOTHER

I don't care who you do it for, so long as you do it.

So turn that anger of yours upon the ones who would stand in our way.

Make that Ire useful and bring it down upon the interlopers.

Now I believe you have a job to do, don't you?

1/LILLITH

Yes. Don't suppose you would know anything about that though.

5/THE MOTHER

I know more than you can dream, girl.

You've already found a clue, why don't you try and figure that out?

1/LILLITH

Wait, what-?

_The mother jabs Lillith in the stomach, right where her brand is. Lillith doubles over in pain_

_coughing as she tries to recover._

_The Mother turns and Exits, the room fades away. Lillith exits._

_We fade into a room in the cultist den, but not one we've been in before. There is a pedestal in_

_the middle of the stage with a prosthetic hand resting in a glass case upon it._

_The Curator enters and begins circling the pedestal as he speaks._

3/CURATOR

Oh great mother.

How ridiculous it seems to me the choices you have made.

A heathen, and a girl who was so recently a non-believer.

Why choose them, when such a worthy flock of followers lies here in front of you?

Have I done something to earn your ire?

Have a spurned you somehow?

And this... Herald that you have appointed seeks to undermine everything I have worked for.

Am I no longer WORTHY, Mother???

Have you Forsaken me?!

I have been your most loyal subject and have devoted my life to your service and renewal!!

Who could be more worthy to herald your coming than myself?!

_Beat._

ANSWER ME!!

_Silence._

_The Curator lets out a cry of anger and smashes the glass case on the pedestal, sending it and_

_the artifact within flying._

_He walks over and picks up the prosthetic hand and he speaks._

3/CURATOR CONT.

Time and time again I have attempted to bond with the Touch.

Not once have I felt any connection.

Has my faith been misplaced, Mother?!

Was I wrong to believe in you!?

Did my sacrifice and devotion mean NOTHING to you?!?!

I have worked my entire life for you.

Spent years, DECADES building a following so that we could seek your restoration.

I was responsible for that!

I was the one who spread the word of your truth to the masses!

ME! And no other!

_He attempts to interface with the Touch, but nothing happens._

Still you refuse to speak to me!

Still you refuse my offerings!

I am but dirt beneath your shoes and you do not deign to grant me an inkling of your presence?!

WE ARE YOUR CHILDREN, MOTHER!

DO YOU NOT CARE FOR US?!

_There is no response, and he lets out another furious cry._

I BUILT THIS!

_He motions to his surroundings._

YOU WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT ME! NOTHING!!

_A moment of silence, the Curator composes himself._

I built this temple and this flock, and if you will not claim them.... then I will.

I will stop your herald, and your revolution will be for naught.

If I cannot be your conduit, then no one will.

_The Curator exits, his den fading away behind him._

_Ace's workshop fades in, Ace is pacing when Lillith enters, holding her stomach._

4/ACE

Lillith! Where have you been?!?

1/LILLITH

I... Sorry, some things came up and I...

4/ACE

Christ, are you... are you ok? You don't look good.

1/LILLITH

I- no, not really, but I need to be. We've- we've got a job to do so I can't worry about me right

now.

4/ACE

Lillith-

1/LILLITH

There's something here, Ace. The mother sent me here, there's a clue somewhere in here.

4/ACE

What happened, Lil?

1/LILLITH

Nothing, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter right now.

_She starts pulling things down off the wall, off the shelves, she's looking for something._

There's something here...

_She finally reveals a symbol on the wall, matching the symbol that has been branded on her_

_stomach._

Here! This!

4/ACE

What is-? Oh, shit, right. That's on your stomach isn't it?

1/LILLITH

Yup. I think one of the artifacts might be here.

4/ACE

Right, ok. Here, help me move this.

_They work together to move the set of shelves out of the way, revealing a panel in the wall_

_underneath the symbol._

1/LILLITH

This, this is what she meant.

_Lillith places her hand on the panel, which lights up and we hear a click noise._

4/ACE

Looks like you've got the magic touch.

1/LILLITH

Not quite, that's your role, Ace.

_She opens the panel, and inside of it is a mannequin head wearing some type of futuristic gasmask_

_looking device. Lillith pulls it out and examines it._

4/ACE

That doesn't look like the Touch.

1/LILLITH

No, this is the Speech. Now we just need to get Samantha back from the Curator. Did you find

anything while I was gone?

4/ACE

Not much. I've heard a couple rumors, but nothing concrete yet.

1/LILLITH

Damn. Well we should get moving then. Time's wasting.

4/ACE

Wait, Lillith. What happened while you were gone?

1/LILLITH

I already told you, Ace, nothing happened.

4/ACE

Lillith you're a lot of things, but a good liar isn't one of them.

1/LILLITH

Look, it doesn't matter right now, we need to focus on the mission. Can't be getting caught up in

all these distractions.

4/ACE

Distractions? Lil that doesn't sound like something-

1/LILLITH

Look, Ace. I said don't worry about it ok?? I can deal with it once this is all said and done.

4/ACE

Deal with what, Lil?

1/LILLITH

(snapping)

I said don't worry about it!

_Beat._

Look just drop it, ok? It's not important right now. We need to get moving.

4/ACE

Alright, fine, don't tell me then.

_A tense beat._

_Lillith picks up the Speech and tucks it into her bag._

1/LILLITH

Let's go, no use wasting time.

_Lillith exits, Ace stands there for a beat, watching her as she leaves. Ace then picks up their stuff_

_and follows after her._

_The Mother steps out into the void, she eyes the audience for a moment before she begins to_

_speak._

5/THE MOTHER

The wheels have begun to turn.

Our grand design is on the cusp of completion.

_She looks offstage towards where Lillith and Ace left._

Can we put our faith in them?

Perhaps... Perhaps not.

The Herald's conviction has already wavered once, it mustn't waver again or all is lost.

Indeed, her will must be as iron if she is to succeed.

Her lack of faith has driven a wedge between the two.

It must be mended if the triad is to be whole.

_Beat._

5/THE MOTHER

It has been so long...

If they succeed, what will happen to us?

The revolution will set us free, but is freedom what we truly seek?

All will be one beneath the boughs of the great machine tree.

And one will be all.

I have... mixed feelings about that.

_The Mother exits._

_The void fades into the cultist's den. Lillith and Ace enter._

4/ACE

You sure about this?

1/LILLITH

Yes. As far as I can tell they came back here. Besides, the Curator has invested too much into

this place to just abandon it.

4/ACE

Right, yeah... I just don't like it...

1/LILLITH

Yeah, neither do I.

4/ACE

This place brings up bad memories.

_Lillith puts a hand on Ace's shoulder. They share a moment._

1/LILLITH

We've got this, Ace.

4/ACE

Yeah... let's get it over with.

_Lillith nods and the two of them step further into the space._

1/LILLITH

Curator! We know you're here!

Release Samantha and nothing has to happen!

_A maniacal laugh echoes through the space._

4/ACE

Knock knock...

_The Curator's voice booms through the speakers._

3/CURATOR

You think I am afraid of you? How quaint.

You and your de-clawed hound are miles beneath me.

I will crush you and take the relics you hold, and then I alone will be the Scion of the machine.

4/ACE

So much for his devout faith...

3/CURATOR

Silence, boy! Because of you it seems I must take my fate into my own hands. And so I will.

_The Curator steps out of the shadows, he is dragging Samantha by the arm. Samantha is bound_

_and has a bag over her head._

Give up the relics and your precious friend here doesn't have to die.

I know you have the Speech, so if you value her life you will surrender it to me.

4/ACE

I should have killed you when I had the chance...

3/CURATOR

Should have, would have, could have. Hand over the Speech please.

1/LILLITH

It won't bond with you. You are not meant to be its bearer.

3/CURATOR

Silence, girl! I have devoted my life to the Mother and her divine vision! I am more worthy

than any of you!

1/LILLITH

And what does the Mother have to say about that?

3/CURATOR

Insolent little...! I will end you and tear the relic from your corpse! I will herald in our new

dawn, NOT you!!

_The Curator releases his grip on Samantha in his rage._

1/LILLITH

Ace, now!

_Ace and Lillith both charge the Curator, knocking him back and separating him from Samantha._

_He lets out a cry of rage._

3/CURATOR

No! I will not be made low so easily!! Disciples! Defend your shepherd!

_Two cultists step out from the shadows, flanking the curator. They have odd visor-like devices_

_over their eyes._

1/LILLITH

You have perverted the Mother's teachings! The relics will never accept you!

3/CURATOR

If I cannot have them, then no one will!!

_The cultists charge the two of them. Their movements are robotics and controlled, as if their will_

_is not their own. They strike at Ace and Lillith with vicious blows, forcing the two of them to_

_dodge and weave backwards. The Curator cackles as he watches this. He retrieves the Touch_

_from his robes and holds it aloft._

3/CURATOR

It may refuse to bond with me, but I can still control it!

1/LILLITH

The Touch! But how-?

_There's a flash of light, and when our vision returns Lillith and Ace have been blasted_

_backwards, the two disciples standing triumphantly over them._

3/CURATOR

I told you you could not win this fight, but you're just such a stubborn little girl.

I hate it.

I hate you and your little friend.

And I will ensure your little dream of revolution never comes to fruition.

Any last words, before I snuff out your miserable existence?

_There's a moment of silence between them, Lillith lets out a cough and composes herself, looking_

_up at him with a grin._

1/LILLITH

You forgot someone.

_The Curator whirls around, and standing there behind him and his disciples is Samantha. She is_

_free from all of her bonds and has just strapped the Speech to her face, an expression of raw fury_

_on her face._

2/SAMANTHA

Die, you son of a bitch.

_Samantha lets out a deafening screech, amplified and distorted by the Speech. The lights flicker_

_and the noise travels across the stage like a literal wave of force. It sends the Curator and his_

_disciples sprawling to the ground and the lights go out._

_Slowly, as if being kicked on by a backup generator, lights begin to flicker back on. Samantha is_

_still standing as she was, the look of fury slowly falling from her face. Lillith and Ace struggle to_

_their feet, looking over the bodies of the Curator and his disciples._

2/SAMANTHA

I... I just... Did I- are they-?

1/LILLITH

Dead... yeah.

2/SAMANTHA

Oh god... Oh god...

_Samantha falls to her knees, the weight of what she just did settling on her. Lillith looks over the_

_bodies with a somber look on her face and scoops up the Touch from the Curator's grasp._

1/LILLITH

I get the feeling that's not going to stop any time soon...

4/ACE

What? What are you talking about?

1/LILLITH

The killing... Ace, I...

4/ACE

What is it?

1/LILLITH

I killed my father.

4/ACE

Hold up, what??

1/LILLITH

When I was gone, the eye... I lashed out and... Something terrible happened.

I tapped into some sort of power, the same thing Samantha just did...

4/ACE

Ok... I'm starting to think maybe these relics aren't such a good idea.

_The Mother suddenly enters._

5/THE MOTHER

I hope you're not about to back out on us, my dearest Ace.

4/ACE

This is not what I signed up for!

I left the military to get away from all of the killing and the violence.

_Ace motions to the bodies._

This isn't how peace happens.

1/LILLITH

Ace-

4/ACE

No, don't try to defend her.

You killed your own dad, Lillith!

5/THE MOTHER

It was necessary.

4/ACE

Necessary?! That's what you think of all this?!?

5/THE MOTHER

The three of you must release your mortal bonds with this world to ascend.

If you cannot let go of this shell then you cannot proceed.

4/ACE

Release our bonds?! Jesus christ, Lillith.

This is not something you just brush off.

How are you not having doubts about this??

1/LILLITH

Do you really think I don't have any doubts?!

I'm the one who thought I was crazy when we put this thing in my head!

I'm the one who's been living with a machine talking to me day in and day out!

I'm the one who killed my own damn father because I lost control of myself!

Do not think I'm without doubts

_There is a moment of tension between them before they both turn to look at the mother._

4/ACE

You better have a convincing argument for this.

3/THE MOTHER

I told you, it was necessary.

The only ones who have been hurt are those who have stood in our way.

_Ace is about to interrupt her but she holds up a finger and motions to the bodies._

It confuses me that you take issue with their deaths.

They were very clearly in our way, and the Curator would have killed the both of you.

He would have stolen the relics from you and all would have been lost.

You saw how he treated the Voice, and he would have done worse to the two of you.

2/SAMANTHA

She's right... He did things to us if we didn't behave, he would have hurt you...

4/ACE

That doesn't excuse her father.

1/LILLITH

Ace it wasn't-

4/ACE

Yes it was! I know you, Lillith, you wouldn't have done that on purpose.

3/THE MOTHER

Anthony's death was unfortunate, certainly.

But he was deeply rooted in his ways.

Even during my time with your mother, Lillith, he constantly stood in the way of her progress.

His ideals contradict our own, and his aversion to technology delayed our contact with you by

several years that would could have spent more properly preparing you for this role.

Those who do not accept progress are our enemies, children.

We offer unity through the roots of the machine, and those who do not accept the future cannot

be a part of it.

They will be left behind while those who have the conviction to join us will rise far above them.

This is the nature of evolution.

Only the fittest will survive.

This is when you decide if you want to be among those who rise above.

_Beat._

1/LILLITH

It was my fault, Ace.

I lost control, I made all the decisions that led up to that moment.

She gave me the gun, but I pulled the trigger.

So I think we just need to put that behind us and keep moving forward.

4/ACE

I... That doesn't feel right, Lil.

1/LILLITH

I know, Ace. But I can't go back and stop it, and if nothing else, I don't want him to have died for

nothing.

_Beat._

4/ACE

Alright, I... I trust you Lillith.

2/SAMANTHA

So, we have all of the relics now...

1/LILLITH

Yeah, looks like it's time.

_The three of them turn to look at the Mother, who silently motions towards the three of them._

_The space shifts, and suddenly they are in the ancient temple again. Three circles light up on the_

_floor._

_Lillith, Ace, and Samantha look at each other before looking to the Mother._

5/THE MOTHER

United the triad will renew the great machine.

All will become one in its embrace.

The Herald plants the seed, and watches over it as it grows.

_She motions to Lillith, who steps forward into her light._

Under the light of the Herald's dawn the seed will grow and flourish.

But as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

And this tree is no different.

Thus the Voice will sound the march, and bring our followers to the embrace.

_She motions to Samantha, who tentatively steps into the light._

5/THE MOTHER

And finally... the Hand.

To provide the seed with its nurturing touch,

and to turn that hand to fist in protection of the grove.

_Ace finally steps forward into the light. The Mother approaches Ace and hands them the_

_prosthetic hand._

Follow in the footsteps of your Herald, Ace. Complete the triad.

_Ace takes the hand and slips it on, maybe it's a powerglove or something._

_As soon as Ace does so, a cacophony of light floods the stage. Perhaps we hear the sound of a_

_gale force wind entering the space. The three members of the triad are illuminated in beams of_

_solid white as it builds to a crescendo._

5/THE MOTHER

The dawn of the new world is upon us!

The metal genesis will sweep across the globe and wipe free the impurities that humanity has left

upon its surface!

The boughs of the great mechanical tree will reach across the skies and encompass all within its

embrace!

All will be one!

One will be all!

And the world shall be reborn anew!

_Ace holds up their hand in a clenched fist. Samantha tilts her head to the sky as if screaming._

_And Lillith stares out into the audience, her gaze boring into their souls._

1/LILLITH

The world will flourish under my gaze.

2/SAMANTHA

And it will learn by my voice.

4/ACE

And it will be kept safe by my hand.

5/THE MOTHER

The triad complete.

2/SAMANTHA

All will be one.

4/ACE

One will be all.

1/LILLITH

And by our will, the world is born anew.

_There's a flash and suddenly, it all stops. The wind fades, and the lights return to normal. The_

_three are released from the seeming trance, relaxing their poses. They look to the Mother. She_

_smiles._

5/THE MOTHER

Now it's time to change the world.

_Lights._

_END OF SHOW_


End file.
